MANITOBA, CANADA: Winnipeg Harvest pushes for basic income

Since March 2016, the food bank Winnipeg Harvest has been advocating for a basic income, which it hopes to be a central issue in the Manitoba provincial election to be held on April 19th. Executive director David Northcott believes that the policy should be considered as a way to mitigate the effects of rising food prices.

Reporter Jill Coubrough quotes Northcott as saying, “After 30 years of dealing with the crisis of people needing emergency food, we are calling on the entire community to consider a completely new approach,” referring to a basic income guarantee.

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One comment

The math backs up the implementation of a guaranteed or basic income; also referred to as a Refundable Family Income tax credit (Donald Benham.)

But it would also require the reformation of our social services department both federally and provincially.

I suggest we reform Service Canada & provincial social assistance systems into a national service responsible for apprenticeship, employment services and training.

Winnipeg has a call centre serving day labour companies that are literally poorly paid slave labour outfits. The call centre serves Canada, UK, and USA. A person goes to these labour companies; often at 4 or 5 am and is typically paid half the hourly wage, if they get a job for the day. $20 to the labour company and minimum wage for the person working. It is criminal.